How many Badminton racquets do players usually have?

[dayung85]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the sport and just wanted to know how many racquets I should buy once I find the model I like.

I'm a tennis player and I have three of the same racquet. Is this the same for badminton? Thanks all!

[Kiradi]

Other players please correct me if i'm wrong but generally if you're intending to play tournaments I would recommend 3-4? and if you're just playing leisurely two should do just fine

[Destricto_Ense]

It really depends on what level you're playing at. The pros generally bring 3 of the same racquet to each of their matches, but they have an unlimited supply. At the opposite end of the skill level axis, I have 2 racquets but they're not the same - I just kept my old racquet when I bought a new one. I think if you're just starting out one racquet is fine, but maybe two if you're playing competitively.

[druss]

It will also depend a bit on the tension in the strings. competitive players play with very high tensions which increase the risk of breaking strings in a tournament. if you don't have someone stringing at the tournament then make sure you have enough rackets so you don't end up with nothing to play with.

When I played in college I typically had 4-6 rackets with me.

[thejym]

I think many amateur players can rack up quite a few rackets, but they will all be different rackets. This process probably happens as they switch from one racket, to another, to yet another. I started out in this way, but now I am trying to settle down on a specific racket and getting multiple copies of the same racket (it no longer makes sense to even bother bringing other rackets that I won't use).

It's basically limited to how much space I have in my bag, since I own more than I can fit into one bag.

[staiger]

I would say 6 rackets in the bags , 3 of them identical then the other two different rackets are used if you want to change the style of the play ! Then the other one (third choice) is used for doubles or any other social play

[demolidor]

It really depends on what level you're playing at. The pros generally bring 3 of the same racquet to each of their matches, but they have an unlimited supply. At the opposite end of the skill level axis, I have 2 racquets but they're not the same - I just kept my old racquet when I bought a new one. I think if you're just starting out one racquet is fine, but maybe two if you're playing competitively.

I've seen Chris Adcock break three to four racquets and/or strings in a match two days in a row :D.

[y_o_n_e_x_m_a_n]

I've seen Chris Adcock break three to four racquets and/or strings in a match two days in a row :D.

he is so bad luck :p

[jaiyen]

lol i just have 1 of each and if i brake strings i just go to a diffrent racket all together.....? does that make me noob or something??:confused:

[druss]

Not really but when you play tournaments you don't want a different feeling racket in the middle of a match when you break a string so most players will have at least 2-3 of the same racket strung at the same tension. If they feel a need to change then they'll have a standby racket or two.

[Phuong]

i think im the only badminton player in here that has zero racket hehe

[thejym]

i think im the only badminton player in here that has zero racket hehe

Are you sure about that? :p Playing with your hands huh...

[Cheung]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the sport and just wanted to know how many racquets I should buy once I find the model I like.

I'm a tennis player and I have three of the same racquet. Is this the same for badminton? Thanks all!Actually, that could be a long process!:p

[y_o_n_e_x_m_a_n]

well, i believe most of us here started with just One racket, as the years goes by, we know how to play, we talked to ourself that once we find the real One racket which suit us the best then we just buy another 2 or 3 as spare and that's it :)

but the reality is different, look at your bag now, you have a dozen different racket and we still saying to ourself, we haven't find the real One racket that is made for us :D

you always start with One :cool:

[loggietoh2003]

Pardon my ten cents worth, truth may hurt for some people, unless you are very well to do, i reckon that 2pcs of the same model and 1pc of different weight, this is for different play and requirement should be sufficient. Furthermore, you do not use all the rackets all the time. Be prudent unless you wish others to remember you as a collector of rackets rather than being a player with respectable skills.

[Blitzzards]

Pardon my ten cents worth, truth may hurt for some people, unless you are very well to do, i reckon that 2pcs of the same model and 1pc of different weight, this is for different play and requirement should be sufficient. Furthermore, you do not use all the rackets all the time. Be prudent unless you wish others to remember you as a collector of rackets rather than being a player with respectable skills.
Racquets and strings break easily at high tensions. You can be playing the game seriously with all your heart and suddenly things just happen and you will really appreciate the extra backups you brought just in case. The finals match between Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Chen Jin at the China Masters 2008 comes to mind immediately.

That is unless you're using just tensions of 21lbs or lower. You won't have to worry about anything at those tensions, unless you tend to mishit a lot and use thin strings like the BG66.

[y_o_n_e_x_m_a_n]

Be prudent unless you wish others to remember you as a collector of rackets rather than being a player with respectable skills.

i am a just collector :D

but i believe there are collectors with respectable skills as well :p

some people enjoy trying out new things, life is too short to stick to one racket :D

[Cheung]

Pardon my ten cents worth, truth may hurt for some people, unless you are very well to do, i reckon that 2pcs of the same model and 1pc of different weight, this is for different play and requirement should be sufficient. Furthermore, you do not use all the rackets all the time. Be prudent unless you wish others to remember you as a collector of rackets rather than being a player with respectable skills.
I think a minimum of 3 of the same from my experience having played in many small tournaments. I do not carry a different weight racquet around.

[jaiyen]

At the end of the day i cant Really afford 3 of each racket i play with :crying:
Good logic but reality bites...

[Stein_r]

i own two rackets. one for single and one for double. For single play i prefer to play with head-heaviness which give me the ability to play long clears with easiness. Considering double play fast movement are necessary so i play even balance racket. :-)

[staiger]

everybody should own a lazy racket !

[Danstevens]

The best way I think I can give you an idea of how many rackets you should have in my opinion is below. I've given each type of player a name just to make it easier to follow and compare them. You may be able to liken yourself to one of the "players" I created but if not, there's a list of questions that you should ask yourself.

1.) Do you really care about badminton?
Do you play for fun or play to win? If you play to win, you'll be wanting more rackets than if you just play socially.

2.) How much court time will you clock up in a week/month/year?
The more you play, the more likely you are to break strings or notice your strings losing tension.

3.) What is the stringing like in your area?
If you string for yourself, you may not require as many rackets as your access to stringing is good. If there isn't a stringer you trust for miles around, you may need more rackets to compensate for the lack of quick access to stringing. Also consider how long the turn-around period - will your stringer leave you waiting a long time for rackets or can they get them to you quickly? If you travel to play tournaments, you will also need more rackets as you may not have access to a stringing service you're happy with during the tournament.

4.) How do you set your rackets up?
As a generally rule, if you string at higher tensions, your strings break faster. Different strings are more/less durable than others so this is something to consider as well.


Let's call our first player Mary, she needs one racket for the following reasons; Mary isn't especially serious about badminton and just plays for fun with her friends. She doesn't play with any real regularity - just when she feels like, maybe once a month or so. Mary doesn't have her racket restrung because she sees no need if the strings are still intact. If anything happened to Mary's racket, she would either borrow one from a friend or just go home and do something else.

Michael has recently started playing at a club and has ambitions of making the league team next season. He restrings occasionally, not because his strings break but because the more advanced players at the club told him he should do. He notices that his rackets feel better when they are freshly strung. I would advise "Michael" to have 2 or 3 rackets if possible. I would recommend that Michael has at least a pair of matching rackets. Any additional rackets may come in handy at some point and any more matching rackets would be great. What Michael should not do is to buy a vast number (5+) of one racket. His game is developing so his tastes in rackets may change, he also doesn't want to be one of those players with all the gear and no idea.

Nigel currently teaches at a local club as well as playing competitively and to a high level in tournaments and leagues. In his heyday, he was brilliant and in fact, he still is now. Nigel plays as often as he can because he wants to stay sharp and he loves winning. For Nigel, breaking strings is a regular occurrence, when Nigel wants to win, he's a force to be reckoned with and can still hit seven bells out of a shuttle when he feels like it. Depending on his access to stringing, Nigel ideally needs somewhere between 4 and 6 rackets in my opinion. Nigel will probably want all of his rackets to be identical as he plays competitively.

Dave turns up to practise sessions with a huge racket bag on his back and with good reason. Dave earned the nickname "The Machine" with his amazing consistency and huge power. When Dave smashes, people on courts near Dave at the time nearly always turn and look as the sound echoes through the sports hall. When Dave turned up at a unfamiliar club night, he heard one of club's better players whispering that they thought he had "all the gear and no idea". Dave politely asked them to play singles and they agreed. Dave decimated them 21-0, 21-0 and rarely had to play more than 5 shots in a rally. When Dave practices, he practices hard. When he is finished with his practise session, there is often a pile of rackets that need to be strung. Dave travels to play tournaments and is really serious about badminton - the last thing he would want is to default a match due to not having enough rackets. Dave should get as many identical rackets as he can. He may want to play with one racket for the rest of his badminton career and if he does, he'll need to stock up :D:D:D

Of course, this is just a guide. Not everyone can afford or wants to have as many rackets as I think they ideally should have. The "players" I created were just to give you examples of how many rackets people really need in practice and perhaps to give you more of a guide as to how many rackets you need. On a final note, if you've ever played a match/tournament and come close enough to running out of rackets to really worry about it, you need more rackets, preferably identical to your main racket.

I hope that helped at least a little bit.

[y_o_n_e_x_m_a_n]

haha :D

let me guess, you must be "Dave" :cool:

very well written, you must been gone through the whole Mary to Dave process before, if not how can you write such a good example, it trully reflected the purpose and reasons to determine how many racket should we have:D

i am Michael, nice to meet you, Dave :p

[druss]

While I don't set out to collect rackets I also like to try new rackets to see how technology is advancing. I also don't usually sell my old rackets unless it's to someone at my club that just broke his only racket or something similar.

When I couldn't afford new rackets every year while playing college, I still had 6 rackets because playing 3-4 matches a day you can easily break the strings on 2-3 rackets. When I was playing provincial mens open I had gotten a couple more so was up to 8. The ironic thing is that I have more rackets then ever I don't actually play competitive anymore. It's just that I can easily afford them.

As a note, I have broken a string on the last two times I've played but I do own my own stringing machine, as much to string for fellow club members as myself.

[y_o_n_e_x_m_a_n]

As a note, I have broken a string on the last two times I've played but I do own my own stringing machine, as much to string for fellow club members as myself.

good for you :)

i wish i knew how to string a racket :D

[Danstevens]

haha :D

let me guess, you must be "Dave" :cool:

very well written, you must been gone through the whole Mary to Dave process before, if not how can you write such a good example, it trully reflected the purpose and reasons to determine how many racket should we have:D

i am Michael, nice to meet you, Dave :p

LOL, no. I wouldn't say I was that good. Not by a long way. The description of Dave was actually inspired by one of my friends who handed out a 21-0 beating to someone who had told a lot of members at my club that another member (my friend) was overrated by everyone.

I just thought about the different motivations people have for playing badminton; fun, improvement/fitness, competition and winning hence the four different characters.

[dukebluedevil]

i own two rackets. one for single and one for double. For single play i prefer to play with head-heaviness which give me the ability to play long clears with easiness. Considering double play fast movement are necessary so i play even balance racket. :-)
I concur with this.